Shadow of a man
by SaiyaJinAngel6
Summary: The days grow longer as the arrival of a new hero arises. Vash the Stampede has destroyed life unintentionally within many cities. But with the defeat of his brother, Knives, can life return to normal in this one horse town?
1. A new begining

((Disclaimer: I didn't write or create Trigun nor do I claim to own the rights of Trigun and it's story line.))  
  
DESCRIPTION: The days grow longer as the arrival of a new hero arises. Vash the Stampede has destroyed life unintentionally within many cities. But with the defeat of his brother, Knives, life returns to normal since the drought many years ago. But what lies ahead of him when the last of Knives' minions return out of spite to defeat Vash the Stampede once and for all? And is it possible that by Vash not killing Knives, that he could change?  
  
--Prolog--  
  
In a desolate area 150 Iles away from Augusta, a tall, blonde man walks with pride while carrying another white haired man in tote. Unaware of what awaits him back at what he calls his home, he stomps his boots in the dust and places his companion down next to him. With a thud, Vash sat down and rested his head against Nicholas D. Wolfwood's cross. Sweat ran down his brow and onto the cross in zigzag streaks of sweet water and dust.  
  
"Come on, Knives. We've got a long way to go. Lets just get up and keep moving." He paused and looked at his brother. His eyes closed and his mouth ajar. The sweat was still beading on his face, but he couldn't move. Knives was paralyzed. "You're right, Knives. Lets just... take... a nap..." Vash's head hit the ground with a thud. The sun beamed down on the two and left Vash weak and unable to continue walking back to the girls he missed so much. Especially the one he left with no answers of how he felt about her. The one that accepted the fact that he had a bounty of 60 billion double dollars and that he left a trail of destruction in his wake.  
  
Vash's brow crinkled as he breathed in dust from the Earth underneath him. "This isn't how I expected it to end." Vash began to cry pathetically has he sprawled out on the desert floor. "IT JUST ISN'T FAIR! IT'S TOO HOT! I'M JUST GOING TO WITHER UP LIKE A PRUNE AND DIE! THAT'S IT! I'LL JUST WITHER UP AND DIE!" Vash flipped around onto his back and let the sun beat down on his face. "I wish I had some water. All that yelling made me thirsty." Just as quick as he had said it, a canteen flew out of the air and hit him in the head. "HEY! WHY'D YOU DO THAT?! THAT REALLY HURT, YOU KNOW!" Vash rubbed his head with a frown on his face until he discovered the silver canteen next to him. He gasped with delight and dove at it. He drank the entire thing in one gulp. He sighed with relief and threw the canteen behind him. "Looks like someone heard my prayers! Now it's time to go back to shriveling up and dying." He laid back down until he saw shadows block the sunlight. "Excuse me, but you're--" He stopped as soon as he saw the person standing in front of him. He was too excited to breathe, in fact, he passed out.  
  
--Chapter One-- -Welcome Home-  
  
The house was quiet except for the clinking of spoons and the whistling of a teapot. Millie looked across the room at Vash and his brother. Knives, who upon arrival had been sedated and had his injuries attended to with much care by the city doctor, was sleeping soundly with a worried frown on his face. Vash was also sedated and had his wounds dressed by the town doctor. When his coat was removed the day they had returned, Meryl's face turned to a blush as she turned to walk to the back of the room. Millie tried to ignore the two sleeping men, but instead couldn't help herself and continued to study them.  
  
She noted the similarities in the two. But they were also like night and day. Their facial structure was alike and their builds, but that was the only thing Millie could see. Vash's eyes are green, Knives' are blue. Vash's hair; blonde. Knives'; white. Vash has a heart of gold. Knives has a heart as black as night. She was confused as to how the two could be related. Maybe a strange strand of DNA set them apart. Millie didn't know their past, as Vash had only told Meryl.  
  
Millie contemplated on the subject for quite some time before Meryl came through the door with her arms full of groceries. She tried not to look at Vash while she set down the bags on the table as the sight of him made tears well up in her eyes and her knees go weak. She knew she had to tell him how she felt when he awoke. But how could she tell the man she had been in love with for so long how she really saw him. Not as Vash the Stampede with 60 billion double dollars on his head, but as Vash. The kind hearted blonde haired boy she had been sent to find.  
  
"Millie, I picked up some new clothes for Vash and Knives. I'll leave them right here for when they wake up." Meryl set out two pairs of pants, two T-shirts, two pairs of socks and underwear, and two pairs of new boots, compliments of the city store. "I hope they fit. The store owner seemed unsure as to why I asked for their pants to be extended by about a foot. I told him that they were very tall but he was relentless to do it without seeing them first. Then I showed him Vash's wanted sign and he seemed very glad to do it. Some people just need motive to go out and be helpful." Meryl couldn't help her stare as her eyes started to move towards Vash. "How is he?" She said with a worried tone.  
  
"The doctor said for him just to get some rest and he'll be in topnotch shape in no time!" Millie smiled and moved a bowl of soup onto the table next to Meryl. "You haven't eaten in a few days. Why don't you try to sip some of this soup I made?"  
"This is no time for eating, Millie. We've got serious work to do." Meryl balled her hands into fists and raised one hand high. "We've got to get these boys back to normal and working condition!"  
"But Meryl..." Millie said softly. "The doctor said that Knives wont be able to walk again."  
Meryl's expression turned small and disappointed as she lowered her arm. "Vash will be upset."  
"Mr. Vash is the one who did it to him, remember?"  
"Are you going to hold that against him?! Knives was crazy! He wanted to destroy all humans, Millie! That means you and me! That means everyone we've ever loved! That means--"  
"That means you wouldn't see Mr. Vash ever again and tell him that you love him."  
Meryl cupped her face in her hands with an angst against Knives. Her eyes filled with tears as she crumbled to the floor in one big heap. "It's not fair, Millie. If I died he would find someone else. You know how quickly he could get someone else too, Millie and don't you deny it! He would do away with the fact that I died without saying a word to him and think nothing of it! Millie, I don't want to die! What if I lose the chance to tell him before I do? What if he feels the same way and I died?! What if! What if!" Meryl's screams turned to sobs as she quickly lost her motive to speak and continued to sink to the floor.  
  
Millie ran to Meryl's side and cradled her in her arms. "You've just got to tell him when he wakes up, Meryl! That's the only way he's going to know. You've got to do what's right for you and Mr. Vash and if that means telling the man you love how you feel, then that's what you've got to do!" Millie patted Meryl's back an sighed. "I'm sorry if you think Mr. Vash doesn't have any feelings for you, Meryl. But if he does anything to hurt you, I'll... Well, I'll shoot him!"  
  
"No, don't kill him!" Meryl pushed away from Millie and put her knees to her chest. "Even if he doesn't love me... He doesn't deserve to die. No one deserves to die, Millie." Meryl sat there for a few more minutes before she got up and walked to the bathroom to dry her eyes and to be alone. Millie walked back to the stove and continued to wait for Vash and Knives to awake from their medicated slumber.  
  
***  
  
Vash and Knives had been asleep for 5 days. Vash had terrible nightmares of their last days on the SEEDS ship. The image of the ship exploding ran through his head and he couldn't wake up from his dreams to realize in reality, everything was fine. Knives dreamt about a day he had with Rem those last fateful days. Rem was explaining the meaning of life while Knives sat and listened.  
"Earth was a wonderful place, Knives. It was full of life and beauty. I can't wait to capture the beauty for you. I know you'll fall in love with it." Rem spoke softly as she held Knives close to her.  
Knives looked up at Rem with a frown. "But Rem, how can something so beautiful take the person you loved?"  
Rem smiled and held Knives tightly against her. "It was his time to go. Even though I might not have wanted it to happen, that's what Mother Earth wanted. She works in mysterious ways, Knives. Never forget that."  
  
Days later was Knives' take over. He had forgotten about beauty. He had forgotten about Rem's philosophy. But he had no idea that it would haunt him the rest of his life.  
  
Meryl sat on the porch watching the sun rise. Millie had noticed that Meryl hadn't spoken since her meltdown two days before and suspected that she might not speak until Vash woke up. Millie slept soundly while Meryl rocked back and forth on the rickety old porch. The sand was beginning to be replaced with lush farm lands. The city wasn't as uncomfortable and awkward to be in anymore. Meryl heard stirring in the house and knew it couldn't be Millie. She turned around quickly to see Vash standing in the doorway with a smile on his face.  
"Good morning." He took a seat in the chair next to her and continued to smile.  
"Oh! Good morning! I bet you're starving! Let me go get you something to eat!" Just as she was standing up, Vash caught her arm.  
"No please, just stay here for a while." His expression turned to a serious glance as she stared into his green eyes. "I just need to talk to you. Please don't go inside right now. I..." He began. "I need you here with me."  
Her eyes fell to his hand as she saw that his grip was tight. He wasn't going to let her go. She sat back down and turned her chair to face him. "Alright. I wont leave."  
He smiled softly and let go of her arm. "While I was sleeping I had a lot of nightmares about when I was a child. You remember when I told you, don't you?"  
  
"Of course! I don't forget a word you tell me!"  
"And I hate remembering that day Rem died, but that's really the day that I learned how different I was from Knives." He looked down into his hands as tears glazed his eyes.  
"Oh Vash." Meryl began to learn forward to comfort him, but Vash stopped her from getting closer.  
"Please Meryl. Let me finish." He looked up at her with his eyes full of tears. "And since I didn't kill Knives, I kept my oath never to kill. But I don't know how he's going to react when he finds out he needs to change. I don't know what to do. If he starts more trouble then I'll be forced to kill him. And then what? What will that make me? A cold hearted killer just like he was. I hope he changes, Meryl. I hope he doesn't make me kill again. I couldn't handle it. I don't know how I could live."  
  
"Vash, you are the most wonderful person I've ever met. I trust your judgment and if you feel that Knives gets out of control again, you need to do what's right." Meryl wanted to reach out and hold him so badly. She had to keep herself together. If Vash broke down anymore than he was, she was sure to spill everything too quickly. It would be too much for Vash to handle.  
  
"Meryl I need to tell you something that's been burning a hole in my heart for a long time." Vash reached out to hold her hands. Meryl's hands grew clammy as she began to shake. "I've really never told anyone this before, so if it sounds funny just pretend that it was more put together." Meryl only nodded. Her mouth wouldn't allow her to speak. It took Vash a few moments to form the words in his mouth. Suddenly, his mouth opened and he let everything that had been in his mind out. "I just want to hold you right now and never let you go, Meryl. I love you so much. I've never felt like this before and it scares me because I don't want to lose you."  
  
Meryl's voice suddenly returned as she fell into his arms. "Vash, I've been dying to tell you how I've felt about you for so long, too. I love you. I never wanted you to leave me. Whenever I didn't see you I cried. I cried so much, Vash."  
  
Vash's grip tightened on Meryl as tears ran down his cheeks. He could feel her warmth that he had only dreamed of. She felt just like he had imagined. "Meryl I don't want to scare you and leave you again. I want to stay with you forever. I promise. I wont make you cry anymore."  
  
Just as the sun rose, Millie was awoken by the sound of people talking on the porch. She walked outside to find the two embracing. "Oh good morning Mr. Vash! Are you feeling better?"  
Vash smiled and nodded. "I feel much better. Thank you for taking such good care of me."  
Millie smiled at the two and walked back inside to check on Knives. She knew things were going to get easier from here on out.  
  
--Chapter Two-- -Hello Again-  
  
The sun was setting on the now lush, overgrown farm town. Millie walked inside the house after finishing her work outside. Their home was decorated with beautiful pictures of canyons with horses and far off lands. They had many pieces of decorations in the house, but there was one beautiful flower that caught her eye. Knives. She loved watching him sleep. The way his chest rose and fell again and again. It was uncanny how she somehow knew he was dreaming. His eyelids fluttered in his sleep while his fingers twitched in rhythm to his breaths, almost as if he was touching something or someone. Millie walked to the sink and scrubbed the dirt from underneath her nails. Just as quickly as she had turned, Knives' eyes opened slowly.  
  
Vash pushed the saloon door open as he forced his way out with a clunky motion. "Vash, you'd be better off not eating so much before bed." Meryl pointed a finger at Vash accusingly. Her blue hair was slightly messed about her head. The result of the bar fight moments before when a farmer called Vash a "cold hearted killer". Needless to say, she convinced him never to say such a thing ever again with a firm hand and a solid punishment.  
"You sure showed that guy, Meryl! Bet he wont mess around with us again!" He draped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his chest. "Should we go home?"  
"Just walk slow. We're in no hurry, right?" Meryl sighed and sunk into him. This was the feeling that she had only dreamt of. He slid his hand to meet hers and intertwined their fingers together in one warm ball.  
Vash's eyes fell to Meryl's. Her eyes were quiet and her face was full of emotion. The kind of face he loved to see. Suddenly, a smell swept through the air as he looked up. "Look over there Meryl!" Vash shouted excitedly. Meryl's eyes darted to look around. Vash scrambled to the door of a building and sighed with a huge grin on his face. "Doughnuts, Meryl! DOUGHNUTS!!"  
"One track mind." She shook her head.  
As fast as he had heard it, Vash whip lashed his head around with a serious expression on his face. "Did you hear that..."  
"No, what?" Meryl questioned.  
A scream poisoned the air and soared into their ears. "VASH!!" A male voice yelled in anger.  
"OH MY GOD. KNIVES!" Vash yelled as he began to run though the city.  
"Wait up!" Meryl ran after him leaving plumes of dust in her wake.  
Vash blazed through the crowded city bumping into people who stood between him and his brother. "I hope he hasn't gotten out of the house. I pray he's still in his bed and not harming Millie or any other of the town's people!" His thoughts were raging as he assumed the worst. His foot steps stopped when he saw Millie standing outside of the house, blood covering his face. His stomach dropped. "Millie..."  
Millie's face turned from tears to anger. "Your brother is a terrible person."  
  
"How did he do this? Is he still here? Millie, please talk to me!" Vash reached out to hold her hand, but she pulled away from him.  
"You should have killed him when you had the chance." She turned her back and walked away in the direction of the doctor's. "He's a monster."  
Vash's emotions sunk deep into his chest. He knew she had never known of the horrible things the crew had said about himself and his brother on the SEEDS ship. The way they blamed them when things went wrong. The way Steve always called them monsters and toyed with their minds. "Millie, I'm sorry. He's not a monster. He's scared, Millie and I'm sorry." She kept walking. "Are you listening to me? I'M SORRY FOR MY BROTHER'S ACTIONS, MILLIE! I'M GOING TO TRY TO CHANGE HIM!"  
"You can't change pure hate." She calmly said back.  
As she was walking, Meryl ran up to her, out of breath until she saw her face. "Millie! You're bleeding! Did Knives do this?" Meryl stared into Millie's eyes and noticed the vacant look she had. Millie had only looked this way twice. Once before when she saw Nicholas D. Wolfwood feeling up a girl in a saloon, and when she and Meryl got into a fight.  
Millie stopped at turned around to look at Vash. "Tell your brother he shouldn't throw glass at people he doesn't know." She revealed the gun attached to her belt and slowly began to walk towards the doctors again.  
Vash feared that Millie may have killed Knives. He ran into the house to find Knives in bed peeling off his bandages. "Knives, don't do that." Vash walked over to his brother and sat down on the bed next to him. Knives looked up at Vash, but no words could express his hatred. "Why did you hurt Millie?"  
"That dumb bitch tried to feed me piss water." He exclaimed as he pointed to the shattered bowl on the floor. "I figured she deserved it back."  
Vash's expression turned to a scowl. "You can't do that, Knives."  
Knives looked down at his bandages on his arms. "Why didn't you just kill me, Vash? Anything would have been better than living on this shit hole of a planet. I should just go again and leave you here so lost and helpless with out big brother's direction and guidance." Knives grinned.  
Vash put a serious expression on his face. "Knives, you can't walk."  
"Damn right I can! Watch me, you bastard!" Knives struggled to move his torso around the side of the bed. "What in the hell did you do to my legs, Vash?!"  
"I didn't want to kill you, Knives. I just couldn't."  
"So you paralyze me? Give me a gun. I'll finish your sloppy work once again."  
"No, Knives! I didn't kill you so I could change you. I want you to be my brother again." Vash's eyes became glossy and full of angst.  
"What are you talking about? I've always been your brother. It wasn't until you went and fell in love with Rem that you got brainwashed."  
"You're the only one that's brainwashed here, Knives! Rem was my everything and you destroyed that for me. She was the only one who really understood me besides you. How can you call yourself my brother?"  
"Shut up, Vash. You knew she had unrealistic dreams of peace and serenity!"  
"And you believed it once too before you went crazy!" Vash yelled out at his brother.  
  
"I wish I could have taken Earth in my hand and destroyed everything you loved. Love, peace, hope, friends..." Knives grinned with a sick happiness.  
"You bastard!" Vash lunged at Knives and wrapped his hands around his neck. Knives placed his hands around Vash's forearms as he squeezed the air out of his lungs. His face began to turn red. "NEVER SAY THAT AGAIN! YOU NEVER REALIZED HOW MUCH WHAT YOU SAY HURTS ME, KNIVES! YOU NEVER REALIZED HOW I'M A PERSON JUST LIKE ALL OF THESE PEOPLE ARE AND WHEN YOU THREATEN THEM, YOU'RE THREATENING ME! NOW, TAKE IT BACK! TAKE IT BACK KNIVES, OR I'LL LET YOU TURN ONE MORE SHADE OF PURPLE!" Knives struggled for air as Vash pushed on his throat. "PROVE TO ME THAT YOU WANT TO LIVE, KNIVES!"  
"VASH!!" Knives spat out with his last breath. Vash released his grip on him.  
"Say it." Vash sat in front of him, ready to reach forward again.  
Knives rubbed his neck and glared at his brother. "You're not a pushover anymore, I see."  
  
"Exactly. I let you get away with your life this time. One more slipup and I'll finish you off, Knives. And I'm not afraid to either."  
Knives' expression turned from shocked to a grin. "I knew you had it in you."  
Vash glared hard at Knives and spat out sharply, "What."  
"The will to kill with animal instinct. Underneath it all, that's all we are. Savage animals with no disregard for anyone or anything." Knives leaned forward as if he was preaching a great prophecy.  
"Shut up. Just shut up, Knives. I'm tired of hearing you talk about what I am. I know who I am and it's different than you. You know nothing about me. You never will." Vash stood and turned his back in his brother for the first time. "I only wish my aim would have a slipped a bit and you were still laying on that desert floor." That was all that was said as he left the house.  
  
***  
  
Meryl sat outside on the porch listening to Vash and his brother fight. She rubbed the insides of her palms nervously while she chewed on her bottom lip. The tension grew stronger as she heard the front door slam behind her and turned to see an angry Vash. Meryl stood to face Vash and to see if there was anything she could do for him. "Vash?" His face was still has he moved to the end of the porch. He quickly sat and began to cry. Meryl ran to his side and wrapped her arms around him in a comforting embrace.  
"He wont change, Meryl. I can just feel it." Tears ran down his face and began to puddle on his knee. "He's too stubborn. Too hateful. I should have known this all along, Meryl. Should have known this would blow up in my face."  
"You've just got to give him time, honey." Meryl shifted his head onto her shoulder as he wept. "It's not your fault he's like that."  
"Meryl, I could have killed him and I didn't. More than once. Once when we were young boys, another time when we were adults, and now this. He's had too many chances! I should have killed him!"  
Meryl pushed him up to face her. "You know you don't want to kill anybody."  
He sucked in tears quickly. "If it saves my friends I do. If it's for the good of the planet, I'll do it." Vash sunk back into Meryl's chest. "I just need time to think about what I'm going to do with him."  
Meryl sighed and leaned back onto a post in the porch. Beyond Vash's cries, she could hear Knives' from inside of the house as well.  
  
--Chapter Three-- -So Lost-  
  
Vash laid next to Meryl in the darkness of the house. Everything was still and quiet. Knives had fallen asleep and was still in his bed. He hadn't moved but once to go to the bathroom where he had to be picked up and carried to the bathroom by Vash. Vash was wide awake. Too many questions were running through his mind all at once. All of them were "what if's". Assuming everyone was asleep, Vash crawled out of bed and walked outside of the house to look at the stars. He climbed up a small cliff overlooking the town. He was just high enough to be out of the city lights and in the dark with his favorite thing. The stars. He quietly hummed the song Rem used to sing whenever she was happy to himself. Suddenly a small pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders, startling him. A warm body slid up behind him as he smelled a familiar scent in the air. A head rested itself on Vash's shoulder. He could smell her perfume. "Meryl, what are you doing up here?"  
"I can't be with you?" She questioned as she moved in front of him and into his lap. She faced Vash with her legs up around his sides, moving ever closer to him with every breath she took.  
"No, but... it's late. Don't you have to work in the store tomorrow?" Vash faced Meryl with a concerned frown on his face.  
"Did you want to be alone? Do you want me to just go back and wait for you at the house?" Meryl began to stand up.  
"No! That's not what I meant." Vash put his arms around her torso and pulled her close to him. "I did want to be alone, but there's no one I'd rather be alone with than you."  
Meryl smiled and let herself go numb in his arms. Her head rested softly on his chest while her hands curled around his neck. She let her fingers linger around his neck as she ran them through his blonde hair. His scent was invigorating. The soft smell of shaving cream and shampoo brought together by the smell of sweet sugar on his lips from his last sugary snack. She breathed in deep as he rubbed his cheek against her hair. She could feel his heat resonating from his neck. She was drawn to it and moved her head onto his shoulder. A deep sigh on Vash's part proved to Meryl that he too was emotionally exhausted and felt like falling asleep in her arms. Vash closed his eyes and let his hands rest on Meryl's waist. The way she felt to him was like getting a new toy. He wanted to study every detail, every defect, and everything that made it so wonderful. Vash moved his hands up to the small of her back and rubbed the tips of his fingers there. "Meryl, I want to stay here forever with you under the stars."  
"Me too, Vash." She closed her eyes and relaxed more as he rubbed her back with softer, longer strokes. "I wish that it was always like this." Meryl's body was getting warmer with every word she said. She felt so safe in his arms that she could fall asleep on a cliff with him.  
"Meryl, I'm starting to get sleepy. Are you ready to go back?" Meryl could only nod she had become so comfortable. Vash smiled and stood up with Meryl in his arms. He walked down the cliff slowly and into the house with a new reason to live. Love.  
  
*** 


	2. Efforts are lost

Hey all. Just so you know, the reason why these aren't in chapters on here, is because I usually format them on Microsoft works first and just plug them in while I go. Dividing them takes something we call effort. So just bear with the sight of the "chapter" and the titles because that's just how it's going down these days! ENJOY!  
  
***  
  
Vash ran outside quickly after hearing Millie's voice. Her cheek was bandaged and her forehead had 8 stitches carefully lined up in the pattern of railroad tracks. "Millie, you look much better." Vash smiled and held his arms out to her.  
Millie walked up to him slowly and gave him a courteous hug. "I'm sorry about exploding on you last night. It's not your fault that happened."  
Vash smiled and nodded his head. "It's alright. I understand."  
Meryl walked slowly outside while drying her hands on a towel. "Are you feeling better, Millie?" Meryl smiled.  
"Much better. They put me on these morphine pills, so for now, I can't feel a thing." Millie let go of Vash and walked to Meryl. "If you hide these from me, I'll whale on you!" Millie and Meryl laughed loudly as they embraced in a tight hug.  
"HEY WOMAN!" Knives yelled loudly from the living room.  
Meryl scowled. She fisted her hands so tightly her knuckles turned white. "If I hear him call me WOMAN one more time, I'll knock his teeth out with a cast iron skillet and make him eat them!"  
"Meryl..." Vash began. "Be patient with him. He's been living with men all of this life... Thankfully I was raised around women! Can't you just smell the good hygiene?!"  
"Oh yes, Vash. I can smell it all the way over here!" Millie exclaimed.  
"WOMAN!!" Knives yelled again. A loud crash could be heard from inside.  
Meryl cringed at the thought of going back in. "Better go tend to that little bastard." She smiled at Vash one last time before turning and entering the house.  
Vash waited until Meryl was all the way inside and the door closed behind her. "I love her so much, Millie. Pray that I don't ruin everything like I usually do." Vash sighed with exasperation. "Something this good can't be free."  
"Knock on wood, Vash." Millie said with a serious tone. "It will work if you MAKE it work. Nothing can separate you from her if you make sure of it."  
"I've never been good with keeping things." Vash frowned. "I usually either ruin something or I lose it."  
"Well then, Mr. Vash, you're just going to have to be extra careful about this, aren't you?" Millie smiled and walked towards the door. "I'm going into town today. Do you need anything?"  
"Yes. I need some bandages for Knives and flowers for Meryl, but I would much rather get the flowers myself." Vash smiled softly.  
"Well I get bandages then. Do you know her favorite flower?" Millie pointed a finger at Vash's face as he leaned back slightly to allow breathing space between himself and the big girl.  
"N-No... What?" He smiled sheepishly as he tried not to tip over.  
Millie threw her arms to her sides and huffed. "Well, Mr. Vash. It just so happens that her favorite flower is the red geranium!"  
Vash's eyes widened as he smiled wide. "Interesting. I'll be sure to get her red geraniums then!" He slowly worked his way over to the chair on the porch as he watched Millie rush inside to get her purse, then back out again and into the city.  
  
--Chapter Four-- -A Rude Awakening-  
  
Someone cried out in the middle of town that morning. A screech too horrible to be human. When the flood of voices passed, all that was left was a shadow burned into the sand. Millie stopped suddenly at the bottom of the town hall's steps to see at her dismay, a body lying face down in a pool of blood. Her knees buckled as she tried to conjure up enough voice to scream out the name. "VASH!" Her voice twisted behind her teeth while the words spun out in a horizontal carousel.  
  
Vash whip lashed his head around from the kitchen sink in the direction that he had heard his name. "Millie..." He whispered.  
"Vash?" Meryl questioned. "What was that?"  
"Meryl, stay here." Vash ran out of the door with a sense of foreboding.  
"Wait! Vash! What's going on?!" Meryl stopped and looked around the room noticing all of the details of the room, including that her best friend was missing. "Millie!!" She exclaimed as she pushed her way out onto the porch.  
"STAY THERE!" Vash shouted as he ran. He didn't turn around to assure himself that she had listened for his sake. He couldn't stand her stubborn personality, but he loved the way she cared so much about him and how she made him feel. His feet stomped on the sandy earth as he tread through the city; all eyes on a tall blonde man known as the Humanoid Typhoon. He slid to a stop as he saw Millie's shaking body. "Millie, what's going on?"  
She turned slowly and pointed to the body of a man covered in plastic armor and wearing a purple jumpsuit. A giant spike protruded from his spine in a twisted and mangled fashion, leaving him slumped over the top steps. A stream of blood worked its way down the stairs and pooled at Vash's feet. "Vash, why would someone do this?!" Millie shook with fear as she staggered to Vash's side. "How can this be happening again?!"  
"They're out there." Vash scowled as his voice turned hallow and serious. "They know he's here." Vash paused and glanced at Millie. "Go back to the house."  
"Vash, Don't get hurt." Millie pleaded as she grasped his hand.  
"Millie, go back to the house and stay there until I come back." Vash turned to her and smiled. "Please." Millie nodded with tears running down her face. She ran as fast as she could back to the house and locked the door behind her. Vash pulled his gun out of his pocket and stood over the body at his feet. "I remember you, Monev the Gale. Your own decisions killed you I'm sure, but what I don't understand is who could have done it." They had fought years earlier when Legato Bluesummers, a trusted minion of Knives had ordered him to kill Vash the Stampede. Monev the Gale had killed thousands in his wake of getting to Vash. Vash had the motive to kill him, but let him go because he knew that the decision of who lives and who dies isn't his to make. "Where are your friends, Monev? They've got to be around here somewhere." Vash thought to himself. "WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO IMPRESS HERE?!" Vash yelled out into the desert. He looked down again at the corpse to discover the spike was that of a Gung-ho Gun he had faced the same day he had created the hole in the fifth moon. "I see what's going on here. There must be another Gung-ho Gun. That's got to be it. Who else could do it?!"  
"Vash the Stampede." A voice rang in his ears. "It's been a long time since you've been outside."  
Vash's eyes grew wider by the second as the telepathic voice within his mind spoke to him in a familiar voice. "Legato..." He whispered.  
"My name is not important, but the message I bring is. You may grow fond of shutting your brother up within that house keeping him out of the lime light like he's incapable of causing anymore destruction while he's under your supervision. But what you don't know is this, my friend, and that is although our master is not with us he is still sending us orders. When you pledge to him, you will serve him through life and spirit."  
"But... I killed you!" Vash stammered as he covered his ears and shut his eyes tightly. "I did a bad thing that day and now you're back to haunt me because of it!"  
"I want nothing to do with you, nor have you ever killed me. Legato's DNA was saved and preserved in a chemical environment in which I was created. A mere spawn of a has-been and mutated to have twice the capabilities. Who I am is not important right now, for you will see enough of me yet. We only wish to regain the leadership of our master, Knives. Return him to us and we will leave you alone."  
"He's my brother and I will do anything to keep him from going back to you and your clan again. He's caused enough trouble to last a life time." The sky grew black as clouds formed over the city. "You can't scare me, anymore. I've realized my mistakes."  
"Don't think this is the end, Vash the Stampede." The voice trailed off slowly and into nothing again.  
  
*** 


	3. Wide eyed Prince

Howdy! I'm getting a lot of this done faster than I had hoped! It's really coming together nicely I think. The next chapter is already in motion and I've got a potluck of ideas in my head. Hopefully the next chapter will be bigger. I didn't want to post the 1/4 of a chapter I had already made. I figure I'll save that one for next time. But anyways, enough rambling. Read this!  
  
***  
  
It was an absolute waste of time to sit and ponder the reasons why he always attracted danger. To calculate the reasons why he was always in a fight or trying to stop one was beyond her comprehension. Her pals grasped tightly around the metal bed post as she sobbed heavily. The cold metal stung her warm hands while outside, a downpour was beginning. Millie ran to the window when she saw a blonde man dragging his feet with his hands to his sides. "Meryl! Stop crying! He's back!"  
  
Meryl looked up from the bed and released her grip from the metal post to run to the door. She unlatched the locks and flung them open to see him standing there, drenched from head to toe. She looked at his face which was dark and vacant. "What happened." Her voice was emotionless as she let tears stream down her face.  
"It's not over." He sighed and walked past the girls and into his bedroom where he would stay for the rest of the entire day. --Chapter Five-- -Sweet Nothings-  
  
Vash walked out of his room to discover Millie was already awake. An odd thing to see. When he turned the corner, he saw Millie hovering over Knives' body. Vash stopped silently and watched her. She smoothed down his hair with her hand slowly and gently, not missing a beat. Vash noticed something was off about her this morning. Then he saw it. She pulled a knife out of her coat and held it over Knives. Vash's eyes widened. "What are you doing." He said sternly.  
  
Millie jumped as she turned around. "Oh! Mr. Vash! I was just going to--"  
"Millie, you can't kill him. Even though you may think it's right, you know deep down that killing someone isn't the answer. No matter how bad a person may be."  
"I'm just looking out for you." She said with a serious face.  
Vash smiled and walked over to her side. He watched her eyes carefully as he took hold of the knife. His smile turned into a sympathetic plea. "So am I."  
Millie dropped the knife down on the counter as she walked to the sink. "Mr. Vash, I just want you to know that I wasn't intending to kill him. Just to spook him."  
"I can do that on my own!" Vash laughed loudly but covered his mouth as he realized how loud he had become. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing. I didn't bring him here without a plan. I might look clumsy and uncoordinated on the outside, but on the inside, I'm full of brain power!" Vash put his hands on his hips quickly as he grinned. "Look at me! I'm a regular old scholar! Ha ha ha!"  
"Would you SHUT UP, you bumbling IDIOT?!" Knives grunted as he heard Vash's voice echo in his dream. "I swear to God, you get louder and more obnoxious every day." Knives scowled as he turned over to face the opposite direction of Vash and his mouth.  
"Sorry, Knives. I'll speak quietly..." Vash frowned while he brought his arms around to his back. Vash looked over his brother's body and then turned back to Millie. "When was the last time we changed those bandages?"  
Millie picked up the teapot and set it on the burner with a loud thunk, then glanced over in Knives' direction with a grin on her face to see if it had disturbed him. "Oh, the bandages! Well, lets see here. I changed them yesterday at noon. Meryl changed the ones on his legs right before she went to bed. I'd say that was the last time! But before I forget, the doctor wanted me to run down to his office to pick up some things for Knives. I'll be back soon!" Millie pulled her jacket over her shoulders and walked out the door.  
Vash smiled and picked up the basket full of bandages and ointments while he walked towards Knives. Vash sat down next to him on the bed and waited for Knives to respond. Knives' slowly opened with a glare, one eye to stare back at Vash's smiling self. "What do you want..."  
"Only to care to your every whim and to make your stay comfortable!" Vash smiled widely as he pushed the basket towards Knives. "How are you feeling today?"  
"Like shit. Thanks for asking." Knives rolled the blankets over his face angrily while Vash's expression softened into a mild grin. Vash pulled the corner of the blanket up as he peeked underneath to see Knives. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!" Knives shouted as he jerked away from him.  
"Hi there! Mind if I lay next to you? You know, brother bonding?" He began to tuck his legs under the blankets as he slipped in next to him.  
"Yes, I mind! Get the hell out of my bed! If I'm going to have to spoon feed me back to health, the least you can do is not molest me."  
"Buck up, Knives! Things are bound to look up!" Vash rested his head on Knives' pillow and sighed. "In any event, I'm glad you're here."  
Knives scowled and looked away from Vash. "Terribly sorry. I can't say the same thing. You crippled me, I'm stuck in this damned house with those two ungodly women, and worst of all, you've got feelings for the bitchy one. It's a soap opera in this little town." Knives did the best he could to avoid the glare coming from Vash's direction, but he knew it was unavoidable. He had to look at those green eyes that only wanted to help him.  
"You're not being very fair about this. You should at least give them all a chance before you go and judge them." His eyes pleaded with Knives while he tried not to cry out to him and beg.  
"I suppose you're right, Vash! Maybe I should give them a chance!" Knives' expression suddenly turned excited and filled with passion.  
"Really?!" Vash exclaimed while he turned his entire body to look at his changed brother.  
Knives grinned an evil smile, mocking the comment. "Yeah, and maybe I'll start laying golden eggs and selling them to orphans. Get a clue, Vash."  
"Hey pal, that's not very funny. I was being serious."  
"You can only hope that I was, can't you?"  
Vash studied his brother's expression while he formed his words carefully. "What's the supposed to mean?"  
"It means that you can take me here, help me get well, and hope that I change. It doesn't mean shit in the real world, Vash. You can't change something that is set in stone. Humans are useless resource consumers. It's an inevitable fact. If you want to keep aiding to these creatures, then fine. Have at it, Mr. Humanoid Typhoon. But you'll never be one of them. Who you are is in your genes. You're not a human. You're just like me."  
"I'm not like you at all, KNIVES." Vash's eyes beamed with anger and regret. "The only thing we have in common is that we're brothers. Deep down we're totally different people!"  
"I bet you thought that when you were destroying July, huh." Vash gasped. "Or maybe it was Augusta when you realized it." Knives grinned wildly. Vash's expression sunk deep into his chest as his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "You can't sit here and tell me that the feeling of power and greatness at your fingertips didn't make your spine tingle and your mind race. You can't get titles like, "Mankind's first human disaster" by accident."  
"It was all you! I never wanted that to happen!" Vash shouted as he jolted up, pulling the blankets with him.  
"But when it did you felt it! You felt the same rush I feel when I kill someone. Or maybe it was just that you finally felt superior to all of the people who had ever doubted you!" Knives sat up and grinned at his brother with his eyes raging with questions. Ready to pounce back again and preach more into his face like rain falling onto bedrock. "It's in you, Vash! I can see it! Doesn't it kill you?! Doesn't it just eat you up inside knowing what you're capable of?!"  
"NO!" Vash covered his ears and closed his eyes. "I DON'T BELIEVE A WORD YOU'RE SAYING! I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO DIE! I NEVER WANTED ANYONE TO DIE AND WHEN YOU SIT THERE AND TELL ME THAT I'M JUST AS MUCH OF A KILLER AS YOU ARE IT TEARS ME APART! JUST STOP IT! STOP IT!!" His eyes clenched down tightly as he kept his tears from showing.  
Knives chuckled and slid back into his blankets. "You're such a baby."  
Vash's eyes opened suddenly to face his brother. "I'm sure that you're no better! Deep down I bet you're the one who's crying out for help! You're the one who needs the attention!" His hands moved towards the bandage basket slowly as he reached out for a wrap.  
"Deep down I know who I really am and I'm not running away from it like you are. It's called respect for your own race, Vash. Seems as though you need some."  
"My race brings destruction and death. Why would I respect that?"  
"It's not a choice, Vash. Get it through your head. You can't decide who you are. That's something you can't change no matter what. Your genes are your genes. There's no getting around it. If you're not proud enough to say that you're a superior breed, then--"  
"I'M NOT A SUPERIOR BREED! EVERYONE IS EQUAL HERE, KNIVES! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!"  
Knives sighed as he let himself sprawl across the bed. "Here we go again."  
Vash pounded his fist down onto his own leg and exclaimed, "Here we go with WHAT again?!"  
"The butterflies and the spiders. We are the butterflies. Beautiful, harmless, and they are smart enough to know better than ruining the land they breed upon. They are the spiders. Resource consuming, problem causing, specks of DNA that should be squashed. I kill spiders to save the butterflies." His grin widened as he let a little laugh escape his lips. "I love that philosophy."  
"You need a reality check." Vash picked up the bandage basket and walked to the table nearest to him.  
"You need to get back to reality." Knives closed his eyes slowly while he let himself slowly rest again.  
Vash turned back to face Knives before he stormed off to the back of the house in a huff. "I should have let Millie finish you off."  
Knives' eyes burst open just as Vash had left the room. "Finish me off?!" 


	4. Open heart open mind

Sorry I've been slow on updates. It's been partly because of midterms and big assignments that mean most of my grade. Meh! Oh well. Expect to see fewer updates as I get closer to crunch time with all of these big projects due and what not. Oh well. I don't want to be a downer, so read on. Read like the wind.  
  
--Chapter Six-- -Good news-  
  
"Wow! Really, Doctor?! Why he'll be just enthralled with excitement when he hears this! Thanks!" Millie ran out of the office doors with a smile on her face. "I can't believe it! When Mr. Vash hears this great news, he'll just get so excited that he'll dance around the room!" Millie envisioned Vash on a rampage of happiness and joy while she preached the good news to him. "And when Meryl finds out, I KNOW she'll be happy because it's just too good not to be happy about!" Millie hummed to herself as she strolled down the street.  
"Hey pretty girl." A male voice called out to her from a nearby saloon.  
Millie looked around and then at the man standing in the doorway. "Who, me?"  
"Yeah, you. You're awful cute. Can I buy you a drink?" His eyes were soft but were spoken with lust.  
"No thank you. I'm drinking for two now." She smiled at the man and began to walk away before she was stopped again by his voice.  
"Please! Don't walk away just yet! I still wanna ask you somethin'." His voice coaxed her to come closer. "When you said drinking for two, did you mean you're pregnant?"  
"I sure did." Millie was a bit confused at why he would ask her these things.  
"And when you mean pregnant, do you mean there's a mister in your life?"  
Millie's eyes slowly sunk to the floor as she chose her words carefully. "Well, I guess it's a short story, so I'll tell it to you. The night he told me he loved me was when I got pregnant, and the next day he died. I try not to think about it too much, though. Keeping myself occupied usually keeps my mind from wondering."  
He stepped out of the saloon and suddenly realized how tall she was while he studied her body. "My my. You're a big girl." He stopped and rephrased his words. "I mean, a big and beautiful girl."  
"Mr., If you're hoping to get a free drink out of me or possibly something else that I don't want to say because it's just too horrible to think that a man would try to take advantage of a pregnant woman, then you better keep your eyes off and march straight back into that saloon!" Her eyes darted at the man as he brought his hands up to his face.  
"Oh no, Ma'am! I would never think of doing such an terrible sin such as taking advantage of a woman! I think you've got me all wrong, Miss... What was your name? I don't think I caught it." He traced his fingers around his chin as he lingered closer to her. "I usually don't forget pretty faces." His smile was enchanting and complimented his blue eyes.  
"Well, uh... My name is Millie Thompson!"  
"Lovely name. Really, I mean that. I don't usually say things like that out loud until the second date." He smiled again letting his stare drift a little onto her features.  
"But this isn't our first date!" She proclaimed with a confused tone.  
"Well then! Lets make it our first date!"  
"Wait, what?" She stammered from a lack of words.  
"I'll make you a deal. I promise never to ask you for a date again if you just go out with me once and get to know me." He smiled innocently as he leaned into her comfort bubble. Her nostrils flared as she tried to back away.  
"Sir, I don't mean to sound rude, but I really need to get going!" Millie struggled to get past the man as he put out his arm.  
"Hey baby, don't get lost so fast! All I did was ask you a question. A simple yes or no can do it for me." He stared at her forcefully, but gently at the same time. "So what do you say."  
Millie looked around in a confused fashion, sighed, then looked back at the man. "Yes. But later. I'll meet you somewhere tonight, alright?"  
He smiled like a little boy who got candy he was begging for. "Perfect. Meet me at Hank's Sausage Palace at 6. Sound good to you?"  
"Sounds perfect. See you then!" Millie ran off happily to her house once again, this time more aware of the men around her.  
  
***  
  
"200 Iles from LR TOWN." He said to himself as he poked at the food on his plate with a shiny, metal fork. "That's where we are, right?" Knives questioned as he glanced up at Meryl. His bed was beginning to contour to his shape, he had sat there for so long.  
"Yes, and if you're thinking about calling a getaway wagon, don't even think about it." Meryl turned around from her sewing table with a needle in hand.  
Knives grunted and flicked peas around into his meat. "Don't worry about that. Apparently I wont be doing any getting away any time soon. Hence the fact I'm stuck here in this sandy hell with all of you." The way his mashed potato's seemed to stare back at him with a familiar gleam worried him as he smashed his fork into its mushy essence. Knives eyed the room for a moment before uttering some words directed to Meryl.  
"What was that?" She questioned while she hemmed Vash's pants.  
"I said... Where is my brother." Knives sunk into his bed as he pushed his plate onto his knees.  
Meryl grinned as she folded the pants and put them in a neat stack next to her. "He happens to be in town getting some salts for you to soak in. It's good for healing, he heard, so he went out to find you some." Knives tried not to let his stale expression fade, but it was hard not to find what Vash was doing for his brother heartwarming. "Knives, why don't you just let us help you and give into the fact that from now on you're going to live like a human?"  
"Because I'm not going to change who I am so you people can feel comfortable with me. I'm already twice your life expectancy. That's enough leeway to give me bragging rights about being not human."  
"Accept it."  
Knives snarled. "What?"  
"Accept that from now on you're at human mercy because there's no going back to the way you were. Just accept it."  
"NEVER."  
Meryl stood up quickly, letting the material in her lap fall to the floor. "Knives, would you pull your head out of your ass long enough to see that the world doesn't revolve around you and your sorry, crippled existence?!" Knives' eyes widened with amazement as he sat silently in his bed. "Think about it! There's no one like you and Knives left except for the plant angels, and really, what good are they going to do to help you in your quest for a human free Eden?! They're not, that's what!" She threw down her sewing material and stormed out of the house and into the nearest saloon.  
  
Knives' heart sank as he realized something. He was alone. Better yet, he was always alone. He heard footsteps climbing up to the door in long, hard steps. Vash opened the door slowly as he peeked his head in, making sure Knives was awake. Their eyes met quickly, but Knives did not resist his warm glance. Knives broke down upon seeing him. Vash dropped his bags and walked quickly to his brother as he pushed away his plate, knocking it to the ground. He held his brother tightly as Knives began to sob heavily and without regret. Spiders and butterflies had no meaning to him anymore. Butterflies were just as needy as the spiders now.  
  
***  
  
Millie pushed the door to the house open as she saw the two men laying in the bed. She smiled upon seeing both of them sound asleep in one big, bulky heap. "I'm glad to see that Knives finally let down his big, tough, front!" Millie walked silently over to the kitchen counter and set down two bottles of ointment. Her brow was sweaty from her run home, thus convincing her it was time for a bath. She quickly threw open the cupboard doors and took a towel out of it and threw it over her shoulder. She walked slowly to the bathroom as she pulled her suspenders down around her waist. Her hands quickly twisted the knobs controlling the bath as water spiraled out of the nozzle. Soon she was down to nothing but what God gave her, as she jumped into the steaming pool of silver majesty. To her left was a pile of soaps, salts and minerals she had set out earlier that day for Knives, but decided she should use them too. Her brown hair hung down over her eyes as she dumped water over her head with a cup. The very water she bathed in was that which she had helped provide for the city. Soon her bath was over and she crawled into her towel and walked happily out of the bathroom.  
Her feet stuck to the wood floor as she tread into the main living area where Knives and Vash were. Her clothes had been set out there apparently, since Meryl had been doing laundry. She snatched her clothes quickly, as to not be seen by either of the two sleeping men in the event that they should wake up. Thankfully, she got to her room fast enough that neither one saw her go into the room half naked. She quickly dressed and brushed her hair as she moved back out into the house and into the kitchen. "I think Meryl told me to make dinner tonight. I better go see what's out there." As she rounded the corner, she saw Vash staring out the window with his back towards her. He had his legs off to the side, as if he was about to get up but then got distracted.  
"I told you, Rem." Millie listened as he spoke softly to an imaginary person. "I saved him. Everything is going to be alright, Rem. You don't have to worry anymore." He closed his eyes as he sighed silently. "Eden." He noticed a sound carried in the air over him as he turned slowly towards Millie. "Oh, how long have you been standing there?" He said half embarrassed, half curious.  
"Just for a second." She stood further out of the hallway. "Who were you talking to?" She asked looking around the room.  
Vash smiled as he stood up. "Just an old friend." He noticed an array of vegetables set out on the table and then at a lonely box. His eyes began to glaze over with delight. "Donuts?!" Millie laughed and nodded. Vash squealed and dove at the box of Cream Delights. He sat on the floor gorging himself with the baked pieces of heaven until the very last bite. By then, Knives had awoken to see his brother on the ground with a sticky ring around his mouth. Vash's green eyes wondered up and onto Knives as he licked his fingers. "Oh... did you want one?" Knives shook his head as she smiled. "Alright then! Lets give you a bath, you filthy little thing, you!" Vash jumped up and ran at Knives.  
Knives put his hands up and pushed against his chest as Vash tried to grab him. "Get your sticky, slobbery paws away from me!" Vash tilted his head and sighed while he walked to the sink in a huff.  
Millie walked towards Knives and smiled at him generously while she leaned down and whispered something into his ear. His eyes lit up and a smile covered his face. "Really?!" He was about to cry he was so happy.  
"What? What's the good news?" Vash asked as he dried his hands.  
Knives smiled at his brother for the first time in years. "I'll walk! With help, I can walk!" He pushed himself forward as he yelled it at the top of his lungs. "DO YOU HEAR ME, VASH?! PHYSICAL THERAPY CAN MAKE ME WALK! YOU SAID IT COULDN'T BE DONE, BROTHER! YOU SAID NEVER AGAIN WILL THESE FEET SEE GROUND!"  
Vash smiled as he wrapped his arms around his elated brother. "I'm so happy for you. I can't wait to see what good you'll do when you can walk again." 


End file.
